stop trying to kill injured people!
by Luinael
Summary: Katsura stays by Gintoki, even if he's lost his memory GinZura fluff Spoiler for ep 31/32 of anime. Originally posted by Taril @ my request


**give some warning before you try to kill an injured person damn it!**

To go outside, Katsura has to wear a disguise. Even then, it is risky – his distinctive long hair and the swords he carry are much too noticeable. As if that isn't enough, his trusted companion, Elizabeth, is…unusual. He isn't afraid of the Shinsengumi dogs, but he is afraid of leaving his group without a leader. They would fall apart and his dream to drive out the Amanto would fail. However, he needs to go out and earn money to fund his not-quite-legal activities. Under these circumstances, he is pleasantly surprised when he is offered a job that does not require him to wear a disguise.

The manager of the store grunts when he sees Katsura for the first time. Then he promptly shoves him into the street to hold up a sign and invite "clients" inside. Katsura frowns—he does not support prostitution—but does his best to attract the customers. His pretty-boy looks help him for once.

There is a slight commotion further along the street, and Katsura turns to see who is disrupting his work. The distinctive silver hair makes him pause just as he opens his mouth to shout at another prospective "client". He half-listens to Shinpachi, a boy that follows the former Shiroyasha like a dog, keeping half his attention concentrated on doing his job. When Shinpachi finishes explaining the situation, he turns to Gintoki. "Amnesia, huh? You remember that you're my servant, right?" He ignores Shinpachi freaking out, as he senses danger. A minute later, he is rewarded by the sight of a mob of men dressed in black uniforms. The most enthusiastic of them screams, "DIE, KATSURA!" and proceeds to fire a bazooka in his direction. He leaps away easily, tossing one of his bombs into their midst as he makes his escape. Even as he leaps from roof to roof, he wonders where a teenage Shinsengumi gets a bazooka, but dismisses it as another peculiarity of the police force.

When he is safely away, he wonders whether his old friend is merely faking memory loss. He decides to go to the Yorozuya and check for himself. Remembering that the Shinsengumi are still after him, he travels by a more unconventional route. By the time he arrives at the Yorozuya, it is late afternoon. The sun is rapidly setting, and Katsura pauses on the roof of a building when he sees a flash of silver hair beneath him. He is too far away to hear what Gintoki is saying to Shinpachi and Kagura, but he stirs when he sees Gintoki walking away. Shinpachi and Kagura stand with shocked expressions on their faces. The Yorozuya lies in ruins.

Katsura searches for the silver streak amidst the crowds of brown and black. The sun has set, but the light from the shops in Kabuki-chou is forever shining. The light is enough to illuminate the faces of the pedestrians. A droplet of water hits his face, and he glances upward as the rain starts to fall. The busy streets clear quickly. Some begin to run home, while others take shelter in the shops. Only those without a place to call their own remain in the rain. Tonight, there is only one person still walking slowly down the street, his hair as silver as the hidden moon.

Puddles are gathering in the street, turning patches of dirt into mud. Katsura jumps down onto the street, grabbing the first umbrella he sees. He ignores the cries of protest behind him and walks swiftly. Mud is splattering onto the hem of his robes, but he ignores it and continues onward. "Gintoki!" He cries out, his own voice surprising him. The other man stops and turns around slowly. He bows slightly.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember who you are." Gintoki speaks softly, his eyes furrowed in thought. The rain has tamed his unruly hair a little, and his clothing is plastered against his skin.

Katsura steps closer, sheltering Gintoki from the rain. Gintoki sneezes, an explosive sound in the otherwise quiet street. He stumbles slightly, and Katsura reaches out a hand to support him. His cool hand makes contact with feverish skin. Katsura instinctively nudges Gintoki towards the Yorozuya, until he remembers that the Yorozuya is destroyed. Instead, he changes his mind and half drags Gintoki over to a nearby building, where he knows they will be safe for a while. He closes the umbrella with a quick snap and enters behind Gintoki.

Gintoki falls onto the floor and curls himself into a ball, moaning quietly. Katsura kneels beside his friend and touches his forehead. It is hotter than before. He forces Gintoki to lie flat on his back, and strips off his wet clothing. Then he drags Gintoki over to a futon, covering him with all the dry blankets he can find. Gintoki's breathing slows as he slips into sleep. Katsura sits down slowly, leaning against a wall. He is wet and tired and falls quickly into an uneasy sleep.

"_Sensei! Come quickly! Gintoki fell into the creek!" A boy is shouting, and Katsura looks up in alarm from his studies. He catches a glimpse of his sensei running out barefoot and without a coat. He follows more slowly, slipping on his shoes and a coat before going outside. He is only halfway to the creek when he sees the shape of his sensei approaching. Sensei is carrying the small, wet form carefully. They pass Katsura quickly, and he turns and follows them home as best as he can. Sensei gently sets down the silver-haired boy. He kneels down beside the boy with a slightly furrowed brow. He placed his hand on Gintoki's forehead, and his face cleared. Turning, he speaks to Katsura._

"_Please bring some water Katsura. Thank you." His sensei speaks softly and Katsura leaves the room to draw water from the well nearby. He looks down into the water and has a sensation of falling into the water. He shifts when he realizes the water is not as deep as he thought. It is only a shallow, muddy puddle._

_There is a warm weight pressed against his back, a strip of white cloth fluttering against his face. He turns, and sees his childhood friend grasping the bloody sword firmly in both hands. "This is the end, Gintoki." He wants to commit seppuku and die an honorable death, but Gintoki rejects the idea. Red droplets glisten, scattered in the silver hair. He fights, so Katsura fights too. But he knows he is no match for the Shiroyasha, the Silver Demon._

Katsura jolts out of his dream, fully awake. Sunlight is streaming in through the window. He has slept for an entire night. He walks over and checks up on Gintoki. Gintoki's eyes are open, staring at the ceiling. He turns when he hears footsteps approaching.

"Who are you?" He asks quietly.

"Katsura." He offers no further explanation.

Gintoki tries speaking the name. "Katsura. Thank you for taking care of me."

Katsura drives his sword into the floor inches away from Gintoki's head. Gintoki flinches away. Katsura stares down unsmilingly, his face inches away from Gintoki's and his long hair a curtain blocking out reality. "You really don't remember?" Katsura sees the slight fear in Gintoki's eyes, something he has never seen before. He moves his hands then, and stands up calmly. "You'll need a job. Go find the manager of the Justaway factory, and tell him Katsura sent you."

Taking the umbrella from last night, Katsura walks out. He stops a block away, and watches a silver-haired man emerge from the building, ask directions from a passerby, and set off on a new life. _Maybe it's better you don't remember, Gintoki._ Katsura's face remains impassive as he returns to the shop. The manager yells at him for leaving partway through his shift, and promptly fires him.

Katsura forgets about the silver hair, working what jobs he can get and planning the overthrow of the Amanto. It is not until he hears the explosions from the direction of the Justaway factory that he stirs himself. He watches the standoff between one of his men and the entire Shinsengumi. Suddenly, he sees a silver flash and remembers the White Demon. Gintoki turns slightly, and Katsura sees the light is back in his eyes. The sun is setting again. How fitting.

He jumps down from his vantage point and walks towards Gintoki with his head bowed. Gintoki walks by and pauses, sending Kagura and Shinpachi off first. He stops in the middle of the street, but does not turn.

"Oi, Zura, are you blind?"

"Not Zura, it's Katsura. You got your memory back. Speaking of which, do you remember working at the Justaway factory?"

"Yes. Speaking of which, you owe me for destroying the Yorozuya."

"Speaking of which, you should pay me for medical expenses and for destroying my factory."

"Speaking of which, you're still a gloomy terrorist."

"What does that have to do with anything? Speaking of which, do you remember…?"

Gintoki waves his hand dismissively. "I can't remember everything, you know. But normal people don't stab floors in the vicinity of an injured person. See you around, Zura."

"Not Zura, it's Katsura!"

Gintoki waves his hand again, and does not look back. Katsura turns and allows himself a small smile.

_Gintoki's back._


End file.
